Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Independence Day? Shall We All Declare Our Independence? Yes!

This week we’ll celebrate Independence Day—but are we
really—independent? Are we self-determining, self-regulating? You know this is a wellness and well-being-oriented
Blog, so you can guess where this is going. But, read on...

Food for thought:Many of us are already focused on the
traditional hot dog / hamburger cookout on the grill, accompanied by chips,
soft drinks . . . the list goes on. But, what if we use this Independence Day
as the time to shift our “food focus,”
just a little bit at time? If we do, we can take a giant step in declaring our
independence from chronic illness by Independence Day 2014... and, that’s a
goal worth pursuing.

Here’s why:The foods we choose to eat
on a daily basis contribute 80
percent to whether we will develop diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.Already, almost one-half of
all Americans report having a chronic illness—and those illnesses account for
more than 75 percent of our national spending on healthcare (and we are all
well-aware of those costs). Furthermore, almost 80 percent of all chronic
disease is caused by three preventable health behaviors—obesity and overeating,
physical inactivity, and smoking. The good news...weight
loss, as modest as 5 to 15 percent of total body weight in a person who is
overweight or obese, reduces the risk factors for some diseases, particularly
heart disease, by as much as 50 percent!

How about this? What if this Independence Day (even if it’s after the big feast)
we declare our independence from overly-processed, junk and fast food? What if we look for healthy substitutions? What
if we find ways to work in a little more physical activity? What if we make just one modest yet meaningful
change in our nutritional behaviors each month? If we as a nation of
individuals can each make the effort to independently create a positive change
for ourselves, we will collectively do great things for our country—and our own long-term health and wellness. “We the
people” can take control of our wellness behaviors—and outcomes. “We the people” can become the solution
rather than part of the problem. We are all stakeholders in this effort,
and together we can begin to turn the epidemic of overweight, obesity, and
inactivity around and reduce our risk factors for preventable chronic
illnesses.

Inside each of us is a person capable of achieving great things. Welcome to the power of LoneStart, the weight loss and wellness initiative designed for real people, living real lives.
What began as a grassroots wellness initiative is based on the belief that the only solution to our country’s epidemic of overweight, obesity and inactivity is for each of us to begin to take responsibility for our own personal health and wellness.
While you may not have the power to save the world, you do have the power to change your life. Our hope is that this blog, our website (www.lonestartnow.com) and the LoneStart Wellness Initiative will help you do just that.